Propaganda Analysis: What is Ad Nauseam

Photo by Library of Congress on Unsplash

Propaganda techniques have been adopted by Dictators to further their agenda, democracies to sow loyalty, businesses to build their brand identity, and individuals to achieve similar goals.

To put it simply, propaganda is used to influence other people; and when it is paired with psychology, it can result in some incredible things (for good, or bad).

For example, have you ever heard the phrase, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, or “9 out of 10 Olympians drink milk”? These phrases have been pretty solidified in American lives, and it is only in the last few years that we are learning that humans don’t actually need to drink milk, and the breakfast line was created by cereal marketers to sell more cornflakes.

These ad campaigns use appeals to authority, ad nauseam, and other techniques to engrain these ideas in our heads and make a killing off of breakfast cereals, as well as milk.

Still, there is one technique that needs to be emphasized: ad nauseam.

When you were a kid, did you ever ask your parents to buy you something enough times that they caved in and bought it? Recently, have you heard Republican politicians call any Democrat a member of the “radical liberal” multiple times, like former Senator Kelly Loeffler did in her debate with Senator Raphael Warnock?

The incessant repetition of an idea with the goal to influence someone’s behavior is a use of the ad nauseam technique.

But, why should we care?

The idea behind ad nauseam is the thought that if you say something is true long enough and often enough, then it will become true. Eventually you can cherry-pick data, you can find authorities who will agree with you, and you can use other propaganda techniques to make your idea true.

It is what cereal marketers did to make cereal popular — other than load it with sugar — it is what conspiracy theories do with minor adjustments along the way to build their following.

Still, it can be used for good.

Let’s say you want to raise awareness of a global issue, be it climate change, water shortages, etc.

What you might do is test some slogans, or some talking points. See what sticks with the audience. When you find one, hammer it home. Fox News is fantastic at doing this. MSNBC is great at it too. You latch onto a singular but powerful idea, turn it into a catchy slogan, and use it as much as you can in your interviews, as well as in your articles.

Pair this slogan, used ad nauseam, with other propaganda techniques like common man appeals, framing, and the foot in the door technique, and you are well on your way to creating a meaningful movement.

Propaganda is ultimately, inherently neutral. How it is used, by either good or bad actors determines its value and morality. Use these techniques for good and create a better world.

Here is one final example of ad nauseam in action… enjoy: